Integrative analysis of the steroidal alkaloids distribution and biosynthesis of bulbs Fritillariae Cirrhosae through metabolome and transcriptome analyses

Abstract

Background Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae (BFC) is an endangered high-altitude medicine and food homology plant with anti-tumor, anti-asthmatic, and antitussive activities as it contains a variety of active ingredients, especially steroidal alkaloids. Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergia (BFT) is another species of Fritillaria that grows at lower altitude areas. Production of plant-derived active ingredients through a synthetic biology strategy is one of the current hot topics in biological research, which requires a complete understanding of the related molecular pathways. Our knowledge of the steroidal alkaloid biosynthesis in Fritillaria species is still very limited. Results To promote our understanding of these pathways, we performed non-target metabolomics and transcriptome analysis of BFC and BFT. Metabolomics analysis identified 1288 metabolites in BFC and BFT in total. Steroidal alkaloids, including the proposed active ingredients of Fritillaria species peimine, peimisine, peiminine, etc., were the most abundant alkaloids detected. Our metabolomics data also showed that the contents of the majority of the steroidal alkaloids in BFC were higher than in BFT. Further, our comparative transcriptome analyses between BFC and BFT identified differentially expressed gene sets among these species, which are potentially involved in the alkaloids biosynthesis of BFC. Conclusion These findings promote our understanding of the mechanism of steroidal alkaloids biosynthesis in Fritillaria species.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses provide new insights into the appropriate harvest period in regenerated bulbs of Fritillaria hupehensis

“…In the current study, one FPS1 gene was expressed maximally in IM02 compared with IM01 and IM03. Squalene epoxidase (SQE) is an essential enzyme to convert squalene to 2,3-oxidosqualene ( Kumar et al., 2021 ), and 2, 3-oxidosqualene is cyclized by cycloartenol synthase (CAS) to produce cycloartenol, which serves as an important precursor of steroidal alkaloids ( Wang et al, 2019 ; Lu et al., 2022 ). Subsequently, steroidal alkaloids are produced by modification reactions ( Duan et al., 2022 ).…”

“…Increasing evidence has shown that TFs, including AP2/ERF, bHLH, WRKY, and MYB families, are involved in the biosynthesis of alkaloids ( Chen et al., 2019 ; Godbole et al., 2022 ). Recently, Lu et al. (2022) identified several AP2/ERF, bHLH, MYB, C2H2, and bHLH TFs that directly or indirectly regulate steroidal alkaloids in Fritillariae cirrhosae .…”

Transcriptome and metabolome profiling of the medicinal plant Veratrum mengtzeanum reveal key components of the alkaloid biosynthesis

“…Similarly, many TFs were found for the biosynthesis of alkaloids, i.e., AP2/ERF, bHLH, MYB-related, WRKY, C2H2, GRAS, NAC, bZIP, C3H, B3, FAR1, GARP-G2-like, and HB-HD-ZIP from leaves and roots with mostly upregulating in the roots. The TFs, i.e., AP2/ERF, WRKY, C2H2, bHLH, and MYB-related, are major regulators for the biosynthesis of IQA, IA and TPPA alkaloids pathways in rice, cotton, tobacco, Fritillaria roylei, Catharanthus roseus, and V. californicum (Yamada et al, 2011;Yamada and Sato, 2013;Augustin et al, 2015;Van Moerkercke et al, 2015;Lu et al, 2022;Zhang et al, 2022). The first TF isolated for having a role in the biosynthesis process of alkaloids was AP2/ERF in response to Jasmonates (JA) (Yamada FIGURE 7 PCA and Correlation analysis of genes and metabolites detected by each differential group of samples from V. mengtzeanum (A) PCA of metabolome and (B) PCA of transcriptome data to visualize the differences between the sample groups of V. mengtzeanum in the transcripts and metabolites.…”

Transcriptome Analysis of CYP450 Family Members in Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don and Profiling of Key CYP450s Related to Isosteroidal Alkaloid Biosynthesis

“…Accordingly, further investigation of its pharmaceutical utility is limited by supply shortage [10]. A more promising approach for obtaining structurally complex natural products is the combination of genetic and metabolic engineering [11][12][13][14]. Because of the impact of the environment, Fritillaria is represented in China by various cultivars and variations, each of which has distinct qualities [15].…”